After a stint of temple gazing in Kyoto it was back on the big old bus to Tokyo, only this time I would not be greeted by the u-bend of a toilet with more buttons on the arm rest than James T Kirk’s favourite arm chair. Instead we were guided by a lovely Japanese fellow, …

Kyoto is the heart of ancient, traditional Japan. You can’t go 100 yards without stumbling across an archaic – but beautifully preserved – temple, shrine or courtyard. That said, you probably won’t just stumble across these things as they’re quite hidden – meaning that Kyoto is not much to look at at first glance. There’s …

So, India and Japan are polar opposites. In India, it was frequently too hot to go outside. In Japan, it seems that every time we set foot outdoors we get drenched in sheets of cold, grey rain. Everything is peaceful, systematic and reserved. The super-clean zen of Tokyo was a welcome relief after the hectic, …